Area Roads Study Given A Reprieve

RICHMOND — The House of Delegates' Rules Committee brought back to life on Friday, at least temporarily, a Hampton Roads transportation study it killed Thursday.

Dels. Thomas W. Moss Jr., D-Norfolk, and Alan A, Diamonstein, D-Newport News, asked the committee to reconsider the vote it took Thursday and put back on the table the resolution to spend $20,395 to study new methods to pay for major road projects in Hampton Roads.

Procedurally, since both Diamonstein and Moss had voted against killing the study, they needed someone who had voted on the winning side to ask for the reconsideration.

Del. Mary A. Marshall, D-Arlington, then called for the measure to be reconsidered, but she also asked that a traffic study desired by a Northern Virginia lawmaker be reconsidered.

On two 10-0 votes, the committee voted to reconsider the measures. The studies must be acted upon by the committee Monday to meet a deadline established by the legislature for passing bills before the March 10 close of the session.

The Hampton Roads traffic study was one of the few specific pieces of legislation sought this year by the newly reformed Hampton Roads Caucus.

In voting Thursday, the Northern Virginia resolution, which calls for a look at ways to coordinate highway, rail, air and water transportation, was killed 10-0.

Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr., R-Fairfax, said he voted against the measure after listening to arguments that the legislature hold off on additional studies until the new secretary of transportation has a chance to develop his own strategy.

Sen. Robert C. Scott, D-Newport News, who sponsored the study resolution, said Thursday that the reason the studies were voted down was the fear of representatives from other parts of the state that Northern Virginia and Hapton Roads were actually trying to soak up a greater share of state money for roads.